What do you think of "RiNo" area? (Denver: real estate, renting)

[DachsieLover]

Hi! I lurk frequently around here and figured this would be a good place to ask my question.

Husband and I live in the "RiNo" part of town on Blake St. (or whatever you want to call it) and are moving soon. We recently put our condo on the market but haven't had many showings at all, surprising our realtor, us and our neighbors. General feedback is that they don't like the area and we have had several cancelled showings because of the area.

Compared to some of the more popular and established areas near downtown, we find this area to offer a lot - generally more affordable, parking is not an issue, a homeless sighting is a rare occurrence (unless you venture to Lawrence St.), very little "riff raff" in general, great community, cool art walk, many galleries, and quiet but yet plenty of restaurants and shops within 1/2 mile. Plus, it's a 15 minute walk to Coors Field or downtown, or a quick drive or even a cheap cab ride. I frequently walk my dogs in the evening and have no problems. Light rail is nearby and will be even closer in a year or two. Our unit is almost brand new and very nice, not overpriced.

Granted, the neighborhood isn't the most attractive in some areas with the warehouses, etc, and there are some potentially sketchy areas a mile or so away. But it's transitioning pretty quickly and a lot has changed in the almost three years we've been here. Crime around here seems to be the same stuff as it is most places in Denver - property type stuff, mostly car break-ins. But, this is city living so some of this is to be expected.

Not being a Denver native, I'm wondering if there is still a stigma attached with this area since it's close to the Five Points area? What do you all think? We are trying to be patient, but are genuinely curious about this feedback since location concerns seems to be the message we keep receiving.

[woob]

There are definitely a lot of exciting things going on in this neighborhood in the art and restaurant scene, but it is still on the fringe of the city. I imagine RINO attracting the urban pioneer type who may not have a lot of money to spend on real estate.

[davebarnes]

and no supermarket.

[DachsieLover]

Yeah, there's no supermarket within walking distance (unless you count the vegan market, which can be helpful for produce) and that sucks, especially for an urban neighborhood. I've said that on more than one occasion. But there are several grocery stores within 2-3 miles and several other specialty stores within 1-2 miles (if you just needed eggs or flour). I figure most people probably drive that far to get their groceries anyway, no? Plus, The Source on Brighton is supposed to be happening real soon. They are going to have all kinds of grocery items. And we have plenty of liquor stores, breweries, distilleries and even a winery, if you're into that sort of thing .

[robertgoodman]

Most locals that I know do not really have a 'bad area' stigma attached to RiNo like they do other parts of Five Points. People tend to associate the former 'ghetto' part of five points with the Curtis Park subarea of Five Points. Most remember RiNo as just an industrial area no other neighborhood wanted so it got lumped in with Five Points for neighborhood mapping purposes. RiNo has changed a lot quickly 10 years ago it was pretty much all industrial. 5 years ago the only real reason to head up there was to see a show at the Larimer Lounge, get pizza at the Walnut Room, or go to a few art galleries. Some amazing places have opened up in RiNo in just the past few years, but most people already living here who would want to live in an urban area like that are aware of those changes.

I think a bigger issue is it's too early on in the gentrification cycle for some people to see what the neighborhood is turning into. Others may not want to buy a place where they have to wait for it to be the neighborhood they really want. Especially when the neighborhood they want may already exist elsewhere in the city. It should be priced with that in mind if it isn't already.

[billiken]

My co-worker bought a condo there 6 months ago and comparable places are renting for more than his monthly payment...just something to think about. He was lured to the area by price for sure. They weren't finding anything in the more established areas of Denver that they liked at their price point, and ended up in RiNo.

[Scott5280]

I think it's a great place to grow commercial marijuana, The restaurant scene is severely lacking it's not totally but somewhat dangerous, the art scene is overrated but if you love hipsters. it might just be your slice of heaven. If you plan on buying and living there for some time it's worth it, otherwise projects like Zeppelin and the like are ridiculously out of touch PSF compared
to more established proven areas IMO as a former broker/investor and possibly an urban farmer.

[DachsieLover]

Scott 5280 - I think that's an inaccurate generalization of the neighborhood. Sure, if you go to Crema Coffee or take a stroll down Larimer you can find the hipster scene, but that's not even close to indicative of the people who actually live here. At least in my building and condo community anyway.

[DachsieLover]

But, I did ask for your opinion, so thanks .

[davebarnes]

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